Issued October 07, 2014
The U.S. Department of Labor issued an announcement Tuesday regarding new regulatory standards being applied to the nation's home care workforce. SEIU President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement:
Extending federal minimum wage and overtime protections to America's 2 million home care workers was the right decision when it was announced last year and is the right decision now. Home care workers and consumers deserve a system that pays fair wages. These jobs are vital to ensuring quality care, and paying the people who work at them is vital to getting the economy moving again.
"We are pleased Secretary Perez has indicated that implementation will proceed apace. Now attention turns to the states, and we will focus during the Department of Labor's non-enforcement period on working with state leaders to fully implement the new rules. Now is the time to accord this work the dignity and fair wage it has so long deserved -- and we are confident that, continuing to work with the states, we can and will make this happen.
"Home care work is the second fastest-growing job in the United States. Extending labor protections to working women and men in the home care field is a step toward making these jobs good jobs by improving wages, reducing turnover and creating a foundation on which quality care can truly be built."
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